Who can apply
A winery in Georgia or in any other state holding a valid TTB federal basic wine manufacturing permit. Retailers and wholesalers are not eligible for this specific license.
Georgia
Shipping wine to Georgia, under license and under caps
Georgia lets a winery direct-ship to a consumer only after the winery has obtained a Special Order Shipping License from the Georgia Department of Revenue. The license is required; the annual volume per household is capped; every parcel is marked and signed for. Rules read on 2026-08-11.
The license and its cost
The statutory hook is OCGA Section 3-6-31.1, which authorises a manufacturer or producer of wine holding a valid federal basic wine permit to obtain a special order shipping license and ship wine into Georgia for direct consumer sale.
Filing fee
$50 to the Georgia Department of Revenue, plus ongoing tax reporting on the shipments and the state excise tax on wine.
Where it runs
Applied for through the Georgia Tax Center. The license is annual and must be renewed. Compliance is enforced by the DOR Alcohol and Tobacco Division.
The volume cap that surprises buyers
Georgia does not allow unlimited direct shipment even to a licensed winery's own customers:
“A holder of a special order shipping license shall not ship in excess of 12 standard cases of wine of one brand or a combination of brands to any one consumer or address per calendar year.”
Summary of OCGA 3-6-31.1, referenced in Georgia DOR direct-shipping guidance, read 2026-08-11
A standard case is nine litres, i.e. 12 x 750 ml bottles. The cap means a winery cannot fulfill an order that would push a household above 144 bottles for the calendar year. The winery is responsible for tracking that number - the DOR treats cap violations as license violations.
Every box, marked and signed for
Two requirements travel with every shipment made under a Georgia special-order license.
| Requirement | What it looks like on the box |
|---|---|
| Age verification at sale | The licensee must verify the purchaser is 21 or older using an online age verification service or a copy of the buyer's government-issued photo ID before the sale. |
| Adult signature at delivery | Every parcel is clearly marked Alcoholic Beverages, Adult Signature Required. The carrier applies Adult Signature Required so the driver takes an ID check at the door. |
| Tax reporting | The licensee reports and remits Georgia excise tax on the wine shipped and pays sales tax on the transaction. The DOR compares against carrier manifests. |
Beer and spirits are outside this regime. Georgia does not offer an analogous direct-shipping license for beer or distilled spirits, so a winery's special-order license does not extend to those categories.
Retailer shipments
The special-order shipping license is for wineries. Out-of-state retailers - a wine shop selling to a Georgia consumer - do not have a direct-ship path into Georgia under current law. That is the practical reason a wine club run through a retailer will decline a Georgia address at checkout, and a winery shipping directly will accept it.
Sources
- Georgia Code, OCGA Section 3-6-32 - direct shipment provisions and enforcement. Read 2026-08-11.
- Wine Institute, Georgia state summary - special order shipping license, 12-case cap, adult signature. Read 2026-08-11.
- FedEx, Alcohol shipping - carrier-side licensee agreement and state permit map. Read 2026-08-11.
Common questions
Can you ship wine to Georgia?
Yes, but only under a Georgia Special Order Shipping License issued to a winery by the Department of Revenue. Out-of-state retailers do not have a direct-shipping route into the state.
How much wine can be shipped to one Georgia address per year?
Twelve standard cases (a case being 12 x 750 ml bottles) of any single brand or combination of brands, per consumer or per address, per calendar year. The winery is responsible for tracking the cap.
Do I need an adult signature at delivery?
Yes. Every parcel is clearly marked Alcoholic Beverages, Adult Signature Required, and the carrier verifies age 21 or over with government photo ID at the door.
Can spirits or beer be shipped to Georgia the same way?
No. The special-order license covers wine only. Georgia does not have an analogous direct-shipping license for beer or distilled spirits.
Where does SMKlog fit in?
It does not carry alcohol. Wineries with a Georgia license work with carriers under separate alcohol-shipping contracts. Our calculator prices the rest of an order but not the wine itself.